Craft Wednesday #23 Common Spelling Variations

This blog needed a place for talking about writing. "Craft Wednesday" will be me talking about all things writing: how to write, why to write, and my own craft journey. I hope to learn and to share experiences with you. 

Common Spelling Variations in American and British Writing:

A Short Reference

    Reading a Thomas Hardy novel after skimming a book written by an American author raised some questions about when it is appropriate to use certain spellings of words.
    I think I had been wondering about the word toward/towards some months before, when I had been editing some of my own fiction. Something just didn't sound right. Of course, some of it had to do with the inconsistent use of spelling rules, but that was precisely the point on which I needed the clarification.
   So here, for your own short reference, are some of the perceived differences between spelling variations and why you might want to use a particular spelling instead of the other.


- Grey Vs. Gray
   Gray is the common variation used in the United States, while grey is preferred by Britons. Grammar Girl includes a simple mnemonic trick to remember the distinction.

If you scroll down the site also includes a comment section showing what other people think about each variation, which is helpful because it shows the initial impression each variation has on potential readers. Using a spelling variation that evokes a certain feeling can be one powerful way of supplementing the combined effects of structure, tone, and form.

- Towards Vs. Toward
     Towards seems to be the British variation, while toward often appears in American literature. Dictionary.com provides a brief yet helpful paragraph for anyone doubting that tricky "s".

- Recognise Vs. Recognize AND Realise Vs. Realize
   Even as I type the "ise" variation into the word processor the entire word becomes underlined in squiggly red. But Grammarist.com claims that both are correct, but the "ise" suffix is the newer version and it is preferred by British media.

Essentially, the newer suffix is hip and calling the older suffix a wizened old fool.

- Theatre Vs. Theater AND Centre Vs. Center
    One variation sounds posh, while the other sounds pedestrian. I know both variations are used in America because I have seen both spellings used. However, I have seen the "tre" ending most often in proper place names and in the names of businesses that have an old-fashioned flavor.


Each variation should be used with great consideration for the larger context. A writer should always ask themselves about the tone of the piece they are working on; concerning the variations listed here, a writer should also decide if they will follow a British spelling or an American spelling palate.

In all things, strive to be consistent!

Comments? Questions? More words that should be included in this post? Feel free to use the comments section.